The present invention proceeds from a gas sensor, in particular for determining the oxygen content in exhaust gases of combustion engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,850 discloses a gas sensor having a sensor element, in which the sensor element is surrounded at the exhaust-gas end by a double-walled protective tube having an outer cylindrical part and an inner cylindrical part. Gas openings are arranged respectively in the enveloping surface of the outer cylindrical part and at the upper end of the inner cylindrical part, so that between the walls of the cylindrical parts the exhaust gas experiences a deflection. This ensures that the exhaust gas does not flow in a straight line onto the sensitive section of the sensor element. The reason is that if the exhaust gas flowed directly onto the sensor element, the particles entrained in the exhaust gas, for example contaminants or condensed water, might damage the sensitive section of the sensor element.